Artemis's Epiphany
by iguessso12
Summary: How can Artemis attend school with Batman's protege and not notice? Sure, Richard/Robin is good, but Artemis is a smart girl - don't underestimate her. Eventually the evidence will add up, and she'll want to slap herself for not realizing it sooner. A series of shots pre-time skip. No blatant shipping (I think :). Barbra Gordon is present and accounted for (go Batgirl!).
1. Chapter 1

The party was too posh for her liking; expensive decorations, expensive food, expensive drinks. The wealthy knew how to look the part too; fancy dresses, dark suits, and glittering accessories. Just for the record, propriety was not up her alley (literally, Crime Alley and manners did not mix). She wanted to hurl with every standing ovation or tear off her face with every fake smile, but she had promised her mother.

She had originally objected to this whole scholarship deal (and she still did), but this opportunity had made her mother ecstatic. Artemis had always wanted a happy family. The small sacrifice of attending a well-known, private academy didn't seem like such a big price to pay. Now, at her initiation ceremony, she was having second guesses. Every person who had congratulated her had lived up to her stereotypical expectation of the rich; fakes, suck-ups, snobs. Gotham was a hot bed of crime and corruption on both ends of the spectrum. She had dirt on a lot of these big name families thanks to her dad.

She couldn't hold back the sigh that escaped her lips. Just two more hours and this whole mess would be over and done with.

"Artemis Crock?" A new voice made her cringe as she plastered a smile and turned to suffer the commendation for her luckiness once more. Expecting to see a "fat cat" she had some difficulty hiding the surprise when her eyes fell on a "fat kitten" (so to speak); the first of the few teenagers present who made an effort to talk with her; and knew her name for that matter.

The boy didn't look much older than fourteen, short, and thin. To be completely honest, his dark, black suit looked sharp, matching his sleeked-back, ebony hair. His smile seemed genuine, unlike the others she had dealt with that night; his bright, dark-blue eyes glinted mischievously. He seemed familiar, but at this party, it probably meant he was a TV actor or a "bad-boy" who frequented the gossip columns. Regardless, Artemis remained on guard; she knew very well how appearances could be deceiving.

"Congratulations on your scholarship," he said, sounding authentic…

"Thanks," she answered, feeling her cheek twitch with the strain of prolonged smiling. This had been going on for the past hour.

The boy's smiled transformed into a good natured smirk, "The smiles getting to you?" he asked knowingly.

Artemis let a long breath rasp out between her teeth, "You have no idea."

The statement only intensified the boy's smirk, "Yeah, I think I do. Richard Grayson is the name, by the way, nice to officially meet you." He offered his hand.

"And you obviously know mine," she returned the gesture. Her dad had taught her a lot of things, and learning about a person by their handshake was one of them (among other, more deadly disciplines). The Grayson boy's hand was strong and calloused – not something she would expect form a pampered rich kid – and yet he seemed comfortable with the easygoing lifestyle of the partiers.

"It took me a while to get used to the fake smiles at nothing," he said, smirk still in place, "I mean, I'm all for smiling, but you need to have a good reason. In the circus, you generally smiled cause something was funny or cool. Don't get your hopes up here; there is nothing entertaining about these guys."

Artemis actually smiled for real at his remark. Now she knew why he was familiar: the famous Richard Grayson, circus orphan, prince of Gotham. He had been adopted by Bruce Wayne when he was eight, virtually the charity case of the century. He had already been through what she was experiencing right now: the transition from the social bottom to the top.

"Glad to find a fellow cynic," she said, quiet enough that a passing partier wouldn't overhear their derogatory conversation, "Why didn't you come around sooner, as in, before I decided to throw myself off the balcony to escape this mess!"

Richard shrugged, "Bruce always has to be 'fashionably late,' with his ladies in tow. And besides, Alfred kinda had to chase me around the manor all afternoon to get me in this thing." He tugged at the collar of his tuxedo with a grimace.

It was her turn to smirk at the other's expense. So he was less comfortable than he appeared, good to know. Quite frankly, her apparel wasn't what was bothering her. Her mom had been saving up money from their support checks for the past two months to buy this dress. Paula and Artemis had hit the boutiques, searching until they had found the perfect, midnight blue dress for the occasion. It was floor length, mermaid style, which stretched over one shoulder to meet with a brooch on the front. If she wasn't mistaken, she had received quite a few double takes.

Speaking of which, Grayson had stopped smirking long enough to finally notice said garment.

"I, uh, like your dress by the way..."

Artemis took the complement with a graceful 'thank you' despite noticing how his ears turned pink for a moment. It would have been so easy to tease the boy for this, but she didn't want to lose the first friend she had made all night.

"I take is you're _very_ excited for school to start." She let the sarcasm seep into her comment as she changed the topic.

Grayson rolled his blue eyes dramatically, "Are you kidding me?! I've been so busy this summer; I barely even noticed it was over!"

"Yours too, huh?"

Her reply was lost on the boy as he had suddenly pulled a thin, touch phone out of his pocket. He quickly glanced at the screen before scanning the room, searching for someone.

Reflexively, Artemis too peered around the ballroom for Richard's mystery messenger. Realizing she didn't really know who to look for, she turned back to where Grayson had been, only to find him…gone.

"There's always someone," she grumbled to herself, reminded of Robin's tendency to do the same thing: disappear without explaining a thing. Great, she had just lost her only friend. Artemis felt her spirit fall a little. She hadn't wanted to connect with anyone this far out of her league, but Grayson had been so open and friendly; she thought that he would be different, maybe even understood how she felt right now. Obviously not. He ditched her at the first distraction. Way to get suckered, Artemis.

Black thoughts clouded her mood until she heard a familiar voice enter her hearing range again, "… you just have to meet her. She's pretty cool…"

Artemis located the source: Richard Grayson was escorting a pretty, red-headed girl in her direction. The girl was about Grayson's age, a little taller, but had a similar, slim build. She was wearing a sequined, emerald-colored dress that came just past her knees with matching high heels that clicked as she walked.

Artemis's curiosity overcame her frustration at the boy.

"Artemis, this is Barbra Gordon. Babs, this is Artemis Crock." Grayson introduced the two girls, a sneaky grin growing on his face as if he were sharing his own personal joke.

"Nice to meet you," Barbra said warmly, shaking Artemis's hand.

"Gordon, huh," Artemis thought for a moment, "as in the…"

"Police Commissioner's daughter." Barbra interrupted, "Yeah. That's me."

Grayson grinned at his friend's annoyance.

"You must get that a lot." Artemis amended, uncharacteristically trying to smooth over her rudeness. She knew what it was like to be identified by her father; she didn't like it much either.

"Yeah, I do." Barbra rolled her eyes, dismissing the apology with an offhanded tone. Artemis was starting to like this girl. She wasn't afraid of offending people, that's for sure. She had a direct, to-the-point way of speaking (must be something she got from her dad). Gordon definitely wasn't rich-folk status either. The commissioner had political connections, not cash. If Artemis had to, she'd bet that Barbra was a scholarship student too.

"So Artemis," Barbra queried, "What were you and Dick talking about before I arrived and crashed this party?" The red-head's cocky attitude and smirk mirrored her friend's.

"Surviving parties," Artemis shrugged, "I told _Dick_ I was going to throw myself off the roof pretty soon. How do you do it? Survive, I mean." She looked at Dick and Barbra for an answer.

A chorus of "I've got her" and "I've got him" sounded as the pair simultaneously pointed to each other.

Artemis couldn't help but laugh as they both blushed pink and say, "Obviously!"

By the end of the night, Artemis realized that she was actually having fun. She hung out with Dick and Barbra the entire time. They told her how they were 'obligated' to attend charity balls or other events, Dick with his guardian and Barbra with her father, so naturally, they stuck together. They had been friends even before they started at Gotham Academy in seventh grade (they would both be freshman this year). They talked and laughed about random, weird, and 'undignified' stuff. They included her and ignored the other teenagers casting wary glances in their direction. And when Artemis went to publicly receive her scholarship from one of the richest men in the world, Bruce Wayne, Grayson's maniac smile banished the anxiety she had been feeling.

She should have noticed how he was _far too_ happy for her, someone he had just met.

She should have noticed there was something more familiar about Dick Grayson.

She should have seen it then, but she missed it.


	2. Chapter 2

School started tomorrow. As Robin might say: "totally not asterous." But then again, she wasn't Robin, she was Artemis. She wasn't known for her acrobatic skills or brutal torture of prefixes and suffixes, she was known for being able to shoot anything with a bow and arrow and for having an intense rivalry with a certain speedster. Okay, so maybe needed to improve her resume a bit.

But improving her reputation was off limits in Gotham because she was supposed to be Green Arrow's sidekick from Star City. Yet here she was, swinging from rooftops like a… well, a vigilante, hence her preoccupation with Robin. If he found her, he would tell Batman, and that was her ultimate fear. She had only just started the team, and though she hadn't felt very welcome, she wasn't in a hurry to get kicked off it.

Now that she thought about it, Robin was the only one who had made her feel very welcome. He had gone as far to defend her from his _best friend_. She knew it took more guts to stand up to somebody you like versus someone you didn't. And the kid barely even knew her. She had initially dismissed it as youthful optimism, but this was _Robin_ from _Gotham City_, he had seen more than anyone on the team, maybe even more than Artemis had.

Kaldur had given her the official leader-ly welcome, and he was nice, but most of the time he was preoccupied with the mission. M'gann didn't seem to like her overmuch. Superboy seemed to ignore everything that didn't immediately concern him. And Wally loathed her simply for the fact that she 'filled' Speedy's position.

But this was her chance to turn around and get away from the life her father had trained her for. She _wanted _this, and she wasn't going to let a bunch of hero wannabes put her down. Tomorrow was a fresh start for both Artemis Crock and Artemis the Archer.

"Boo!"

It took all her self-control not to flip out, not because he had scared her, but because he had surprised her. That, and you normally don't expect anyone to drop by for a visit on the roof of a fifty floor building. Lost in her musings about the team and her observation of the city streets below, she hadn't heard his approach (not that she would've heard it anyway).

All the same, she spun around quickly, heart pounding, arrow drawn back in her compound bow to point directly at his heart. She must've looked like a deer in the headlights because a knowing smirk grew on his face as he put his hands up in a calming fashion.

"Robin." Her voice was a mixture of relief and frustration.

"Artemis." He mimicked her greeting.

The green clad archer lowered her bow, "I could've killed you. Why'd you do that?"

Robin raised an eyebrow, his own way of saying: 'I really doubt it.'

"Why are you here?" Artemis asked heatedly.

"I thought you called for me." His face was completely straight.

"No, why would I do that?"

Robin put a hand to his ear, "You did too. You were thinking about me. Don't you know the saying 'think of the devil and he shall appear'?"

Artemis rolled her eyes, "I'm pretty sure it's '_speak_ of the devil and he shall appear.' And last I checked, you're not the devil."

"Maybe I am." Robin taped his fingers together evily.

"What are you doing here?" Artemis asked the question that had been so skillfully avoided.

"So you aren't denying that you were thinking of me?" the bird persisted.

"Maybe I was wrong. You _are _a devil."

"At least you realize it," Robin said with a shrug. He walked up beside her to stand at the edge of building, allowing him the same vantage point Artemis had been enjoying. The wind played with his messy black hair, his cape fell around him, shrouding him the shadows cast by the city lights below. He looked for all the world like a bona fide hero, everything she aspired to be. Standing next to him, she felt prominently out of place. Robin had background, recognition, and experience; it was like he was born to be a hero. Her? She was a nobody from a family of villains. If people found out they wouldn't trust her; she would always be suspected for being a double agent or a mole. As long as people trusted her as Green Arrow's sidekick, she could make a name for herself. Which brought her around to her current predicament…

"What are you doing here?" she asked for the third time.

"I could ask you the same thing," Robin turned to face her, his face looked eerily pale in the dim light from the streetlamps below. He wasn't joking anymore. She was in trouble.

"I was patrolling," she weakly argued.

"In Gotham? Not _Star City_? You're Green Arrow's protégé aren't you? Why aren't you 'patrolling' with him?"

"He gave me the night off cause I start school tomorrow, but I was bored." Artemis's objection was weak. There were holes all over her story. Robin would see through them in an instant. She planned on _not_ getting caught and now she wasn't prepared.

"So you made the trip all the way to Gotham to patrol so you could avoid your mentor?"

"Yeah."

They were face-to-face, not exactly having a staring contest, seeing as Robin could do no such thing in a mask, but having more of a battle of wills.

Artemis looked away first, "How did you find me?" Her voice was quiet with defeat. She'd been caught. She really needed to work on her lying skills. A secret identity would never hold up at this rate.

Robin snorted, "Please! A string of petty thugs and criminals getting turned in without a hero in sight, it wasn't exactly covert. And Batman and I know it wasn't us, so that leaves you."

"He knows I'm here?" Artemis felt her throat constrict.

"Well, no. Not _here_ in particular, but we knew it was you." Robin's voice hadn't lost its edge. So much for him being the nice one on the team.

"_Not a hero in sight."_ He didn't think she was hero material either.

She snapped, "So what are you gonna do about it? What is _he_ gonna do about it? Kick me off the team!?"

Robin looked shocked for a brief moment before he was able to hide it again. The bird cocked his head to side, regarding her in a manner that made her feel like he was examining her. "Batman asked you not to patrol in Gotham didn't he?"

Fuming, Artemis could do little more than nod.

"_Gahhhh!_" Robin suddenly yelled, fisting his hair with his hands, "Why can't he ever explain himself! I keep telling him that people would like some reasoning behind his orders, that he's going to offend someone, that it took me YEARS to get to where I am now when it comes to understanding him. And still…" Robin's rant ended in some garbled, unintelligible words as he vented his frustration with his mentor.

Artemis was feeling rather bewildered. Robin had never seemed so displeased with his mentor's methods. She waited until he was done mumbling to himself to ask, "What did he mean then."

Robin coughed and shuffled his feet, "Well," he seemed uncomfortable to be put on the spot, "Number one: he feels like he went to the trouble of getting you a mentor, and that you shouldn't waste the opportunity to work with him by being here in Gotham. Two: you need to be seen in Star City as much as possible to keep up your appearance as GA's niece. Three: Batman has undergoing operations in Gotham, some of which took years to establish, and he doesn't want you to accidentally mess them up. It's not that he doesn't want you helping, but he generally boycotts all heroes. He knows you have good intentions, but this is Gotham, and things tend to get complicated regardless of our good intentions."

Artemis digested this information. "So… Batman told you I'm not from Star City?"

"Psh. He didn't have to tell me! Gothamite to the bone." He held out his fist, inviting a friendly fistbump over their mutual upbringing. That seemed to cover her other unanswered questions. Robin knew who she was, maybe not all of it, but most of it anyway. And yet, he was still here.

"Oh." The wind picked up, drawing her attention to the twisted city below. Sodium lamps set off an orange glow that lit the smog and the dark skies. This is Gotham, her home. Maybe she might not be able to protect it now, but she trusted Robin and the Dark Knight. They had saved her hadn't they? They could save the city too. "What are you doing here Robin?"

"Geez, you've asked me that like four times!" Robin's voice was joking again, if not mildly exasperated.

"Well, you still haven't answered."

"I thought you could figure it out. _I'm_ on patrol."

"Oh," So it was kinda obvious.

Robin smiled, "I was going to use this building so I could scope you out, but you were already here. Lucky me!"

"Yeah, Lucky you." Artemis grumbled under her breath. "So what are you going to do now that you've caught me? Get Bats to send me home?"

"Hmmm…" Robin tapped a finger to his chin as if he were puzzling over a brain teaser, "I could, but that wouldn't be very much fun now would it."

"You're starting to scare me. Have you been spending too much time with the Arkham villains?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I have."

Robin flipped up onto the edge of the building, balancing precariously on the rail hundreds of feet in the air. It made Artemis's heart stop in fear for him. She was good when it came to acrobatic fighting, but she wasn't _that_ good. His flippant disregard for his own personal wellbeing wasn't necessarily foolishness, but steady confidence in his own skills. She wished she were that sure of herself.

He crouched down, watching the city like a bird of prey. There was a predatory quality to his smirk.

"You could come with me."

The invitation caught Artemis off guard. Wasn't he just about to call Batman on her? Apparently that's not what had been running through his mind.

"What?"

Robin didn't turn around, "Come with me. We can get it done faster together, you won't be bored, and Bats can't get mad at you cause I'll take responsibility for you. It'll be fun!

Was he being serious? It certainly sounded like he was. And all this time she thought Robin was a goody-two-shoes when it came to the rules, especially Bats's rules.

"You'll have to keep up though." Robin was just bating her now. He knew she couldn't say no to an open challenge like that

She grinned, readying her bow she said, "Just point me in the right direction and I'll beat you there."

"That's more like it," Robin cackled as he stood and pulled his grappling gun from his belt. He threw himself off the building, falling fast and laughing insanely. Artemis followed him, not far behind.

"So you said you start school tomorrow?" Robin asked as they sprinted across the roof of another tower.

"Yeah."

"No way! Same deal here!"

Artemis hoped she would be able to intern in Gotham more often in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

Artemis, Dick, and Barbra were standing on the sidewalk in front of Gotham Academy waiting for Alfred to pick them up. It was Friday and Dick had invited the girls over to his 'house' for the evening just for the fun of it. Artemis had never been to the famous Wayne Manor before, so she was, understandably, excited. She tried not to show it though, thinking it would be shallow to be enthusiastic about visiting simply because he was rich. But it was really hard, and she was failing miserably.

Dick smirked knowingly in her direction. It was like he was telepathic; he always seemed to know what she was thinking. But his smug look wasn't making her any less awkward, or guilty.

It was Barbra who came to her rescue, "It's alright to be excited Artemis. I was too the first time I went. So don't let _Richard_ get to you, he just likes to make people uncomfortable."

Dick smiled, "I've had to deal with too many stuck-up snobs who think I'm trash or a charity case. It's fun to remind them that, in the end, I'm richer than they are."

"Understandable," Artemis confessed, "But I'm innocent, I swear!"

"Sure you are," Dick drew out the statement doubtfully.

Artemis shoved the shorter boy in the back of the head, rolling her eyes at his antics. Grayson wasn't the least bit fazed, his infectious smile causing both Barbra and Artemis to smile.

Moments later, a sleek, black car pulled up to the curb in front of them. Without hesitation Dick pulled open the car door, stepping aside with a bow and a gesture for the girls to get inside: "ladies first." Barbra climbed in, apparently accustomed to his behavior, but Artemis paused, uncertain.

"I would have thought we'd be picked up in a limo." She joked weakly as she finally followed Barbra.

Dick sat down beside her and pulled the door shut, "Alfred likes to drive the Rolls Royce, and we don't argue with Alfred."

He said it so seriously Artemis couldn't help but laugh. The picture of billionaire Bruce Wayne and his troublemaking ward bowing to the will of their elderly butler was comical.

"Don't laugh!" Dick pouted, "Alfie can make the scariest threats. I swear he's more frightening than the Batman!" his mischievous grin was wiped off his face by a voice from the front of the car:

"I heard that Master Richard."

"Sorry Alfred," he said, subdued, but a smirk was tugging at the corners of his mouth, "but it's true."

Barbra simply sighed at her best friend, "How would _you_ know that he's scarier than the Batman?"

"Trust me," Dick sounded like he was enjoying his own personal joke, "I know."

Artemis peered at the man in the driver's seat who was currently giving Dick a disapproving look. The butler had potential, but _she _knew the Batman, and that man was downright intimidating (especially when Robin had the nerve to play practical jokes on him). No way could some posh, English butler one-up the Batman. Dick was just ignorant.

It was quiet for a while as the teenagers waited for their car to crawl through Gotham City traffic. They finally hit the country roads before cruising up an aggregate driveway. Shadows rippled across the car as they drove beneath perfectly spaced trees that lined the path. The moment they came around the final curve Artemis couldn't help but stare. The manor was massive, stonework chiseled with antique designs, a fountain gushed in the middle of the drive, the greenery manicured perfectly. The mansion symbolized the epitome of wealth and affluence, in other words: Bruce Wayne.

"Welcome to Wayne Manor." Dick snarked, obviously trying to impress her. She was impressed, but not by him.

It was 6:30, about the time twilight fell on Gotham City in this season. Artemis, Dick, and Barbra had just started a movie in the theatre room. They were sitting comfortably on the couches, finishing up the last of their genuine, deep-dish Italian pizza Alfred had made for them when Barbra's cell phone went off. Dick scrabbled to find the remote and pause the big screen while she answered.

"Hello… dad? What's going on?" she listened for a moment, "Yeah, I'm still here. We just started a movie… They what!? Alright, I'll ask. You know they'll say yes. Yeah, yeah I'll be fine." Her voice suddenly got quiet, "Take care dad, I love you."

She hung up, face slightly pinched with worry.

"What happened?" Dick asked, concern for his friend blatantly evident.

"Black Mask has a bomb rigged to blow up half of Gotham. Dad asked if I could stay here until they get the situation under control." Barbra's voice was monotone. Artemis realized this sort of thing must happen to her a lot. Her dad was the responsible for protecting the people of Gotham from its homicidal maniacs. It wasn't the safest career.

"Of course you can stay Babs," Dick said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Artemis felt her pocket vibrate. She pulled out her phone, blue backlight glowing brightly in the darkness of the room. A single, short text splayed across the screen: _Bomb threat. Stay safe. Love you._ Paula knew Artemis could take care of herself; she left the rest to her daughter's professional digression.

She looked up to see both Dick and Babs staring questioningly at her. Closing her phone she asked; "Does that invitation extend to me as well?"

Dick rolled his eyes, "No Artemis, I'm going to kick you out on the streets."

Artemis stuck her tongue out at him.

"Tch. Don't be so touchy. Duh, you can stay!"

They started the movie again; Artemis felt slightly queasy. She was a hero. She should be helping Gotham in its hour of need, yet here she was relaxing while Black Mask was hours away from blowing them all to hell. But Gotham City was Batman's turf; he and Robin would take care of it, and they wouldn't appreciate her butting in. She knew that for a fact.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice that the movie had been paused again till a few seconds later. Dick was on the phone this time, his face uncharacteristically serious.

"Bruce."

Though Artemis didn't know Mr. Wayne all that well, she had assumed from all his press shenanigans that he would be more laid back. The way Dick said his name didn't seem to match that extrapolation.

"I'm on my way."

Dick hung up, surprising Artemis with the brevity of the call. Maybe the billionaire had a much different relationship with his ward than what was shown on television. The boy looked honestly regretful.

"Where are you going?" Artemis asked. Was he ditching them… in his own home?

"Out. I need to meet Bruce."

"Why?" his explanation explained absolutely nothing.

"I gotta save him!" Grayson winked slyly, "The board of directors at Wayne Enterprises has him on lockdown. Only I can persuade them otherwise at this point. Alfred's taking me in, but I'll come back later with Bruce."

"But what about the bomb?" Artemis protested, "Don't you think maybe it's a good idea that Wayne is…"

A calm hand on her shoulder stopped Artemis's tirade. Artemis turned to see Barbra looking Dick straight in the eye, an intense stare burning with a mixture of emotions: worry, care, and determination.

"It's okay Dick. If Bruce needs you, go. We'll just hang out here." Barbra's voice was calm and even, "Just stay safe." Her last three words were a quiet plea.

"I will Babs," Dick said with a soft smile, but the slightest flicker of guilt flashed in his blue eyes, "You can finish the movie without me. See you later!"

He ran out of the room, calling Alfred's name as he disappeared down the hall.

"What was that all about?" Artemis asked only to be ignored by Barbra who stated the movie again.

"Will you ladies be staying for the night?" Alfred asked a few hours later.

"It would seem so," Barbra affirmed, sending a sideways glance in Artemis's direction to receive her agreeing nod. Grayson still hadn't returned, and Artemis didn't feel like leaving Barbra here all alone.

"I shall prepare the appropriate bedrooms." Alfred said with a bow.

"Nah Alfie," Barbra said with a small grin, "We'll sleep on the couches… as usual."

"As you wish, Miss Gordon. I shall get the necessary linens." Artemis was sure the barest hint of a fond smile graced the old butler's features as he turned to leave.

Once the elderly man was out of earshot a long-suffering sigh escaped Barbra's lips,

"'As usual'?" Artemis reiterated, "this happens often?"

Barbra gave her a sharp, wary glance, but explained all the same, "My dad and Mr. Wayne are on very close terms. There has been more than one occasion that I've been stranded here for my own safekeeping during a crisis. I prefer to sleep on the couch, that way it feels more like a sleepover and less like protective custody."

In the ensuing silence, a grandfather clock somewhere in the manor struck ten. Artemis knew Barbra's life wasn't all sunshine and daisies, but she was starting to be very thankful for her own. The girl had to be tough both physically and emotionally.

"It's getting late," Barbra said, carrying the load of blankets Alfred had delivered, "We should get some sleep."

"What about Grayson? He's not back is he?"

"It's fine. He won't be back for a while yet." Barbra said.

Artemis threw her a dubious look, "How do you know? Did he call you or something?" she was sure she hadn't missed any communication from their missing member.

"No, but I know he won't be back until we're already asleep so there's no point in staying up to wait for him." Barbra sounded so sure of herself; it was as if she was reciting the alphabet.

"So… is it always like this?" Artemis was beginning to sense that she was missing a piece of the puzzle.

"Yeah… h-he always leaves in these situations; and then doesn't get back till early in the morning." Barbra was giving Artemis a hard-core, shifty-eyed glare, like she was unsure if she should be sharing this information. "It's probably just a coincidence." Her weak dismissal didn't halt the racing thoughts running through Artemis's head.

Suspicious silence permeated the room. Barbra looked regretful for telling Artemis about Grayson's odd habits. "Maybe he's secretly a diminutive mob boss!" Artemis joked to break the tension. Barbra broke into a strained laugh, considering the matter dropped, but Artemis filed the oddity away for further analysis.

"Yeah, maybe."

Artemis's eyes were blurred with sleep, but the urgent call of nature forced her into action. The glowing numerals on her cell indicated that it was three AM, not exactly the ideal time for a potty break, but whatever. What she didn't understand was why this house had to be so damn big! She had stumbled down a few Persian-carpeted halls, but to no avail. Now she was even more lost than before and didn't even know how to find her way back to the living room. No one in their right mind would even be awake to help her. The house was quiet apart from her heavy breathing, the loud tick of an ornamental clock, and… hushed voices winding down the hallway from the den.

Her father's training forced her to instantly wake up and creep down to the doorway, silent as a shadow. Due to the fact that she didn't know the layout of the house, she settled for listening outside of the door, instead of sneaking in (a decision that would ultimately prove to be the best).

"Long night." A voice she recognized to be Dick's. His tone was serious, which was unusual for him, but there was something even more familiar about that, "We could've done better."

"Unforeseen complications will always arise, that is why it is our job to try and foresee such complications and plan for anything. We did the best we could for tonight; next time we will be better. That is what we do." The other voice was soft and deep. Wayne's, Artemis would hazard a guess. But what were they talking about?

"Yep." Dick's blasé reply to his guardian's wisdom didn't imply that he didn't care, but that he'd heard it before. A yawn followed his answer, "Well, I'm going to bed. Barbra's going to wake me up early for waffles no doubt, so I'd like to catch a few hours' sleep before that happens."

Artemis heard soft footsteps approach the doorway. Cautiously she scrambled back around another corner in the hall.

"Dick,"

She tilted her head to listen again. Wayne's voice was colored with concern. The boy stood in the doorway of the study, his hand resting on the doorknob. He didn't even turn around.

"I'm fine Bruce. Alfred patched me up."

The silence stretched between them. Artemis didn't even realize she was holding her breath.

"Things happen; we did what we could; and next time we'll be better. Isn't that what you said?" Dick turned to offer the man in the room an impish smile, "So don't worry so much. It's an occupational hazard."

The carpet muted Richard Grayson's footsteps as he padded silently up the stairs to his room. Artemis noted he was still wearing his day clothes, but his hair was wet as if he had recently showered. Suddenly, she was aware of how little she knew about Dick apart from common, public knowledge. Everyone had their secrets, so what could the White Knight of Gotham and his ward be hiding. This night proved that it was something was out of the ordinary.

Artemis was relieved that she hadn't been caught, but she hadn't forgotten about the initial reason for her wakefulness. Luckily, she found a bathroom _and_ made it back to her couch without the need to consult a map of Wayne Manor.

Before sleep came over her, through half closed eyes, she saw Dick haul an armful of blankets and pillows into the living room and settle down in a recliner. He looked so innocently like his normal self in his pajamas that she almost forgot about his shady behavior only minutes earlier. Where had he gone? _Maybe he was a crime lord!_

But that was preposterous, Artemis reminded herself, and Dick didn't have that kind of disposition. But the opposite of a villain was possible. She peered across the room to see that Grayson was already zonked, his mouth hanging slightly open as he slept. He didn't look very heroic when he was asleep, or early the next morning when Barbra woke him up for waffles.


End file.
